A POTENTIALLY serious ankle injury to star midfielder Max Holmes has soured Geelong's 27 point win over St Kilda on Thursday night.

The right foot of the hard-running Cat got trapped underneath him in a contest inside 50 in the fourth quarter, stopping play in a match that was dominated by the home side.

CATS v SAINTS Full match coverage and stats

Holmes limped off the ground with the assistance of medical staff, unable to put weight on the injured leg, joining teammate Shaun Mannagh on the bench after the small forward was taken out of the game earlier with hamstring tightness.

Outside of the two injuries, it was a perfect night for the Cats who dominated from start to finish to win 15.12 (102) to 11.9 (75) in front of a crowd of 23,737.

The Cats made seven changes leading into the Thursday night match and a number of their inclusions took their opportunities with both hands.

Gryan Miers, who returned to the side for the first time since round 13, finished the match with a game-high three goals, 22 disposals and 12 score involvements, adding class to Geelong's forward 50.

Another inclusion was debutant Jay Polkinghorne who looked right at home at the top level.

The 20-year old key forward kicked two majors, including a goal with his first kick, but could have had more after a wayward night where he also added three behinds.

Geelong nullified the influence of key St Kilda playmaker Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera through a hard tag by Irishman Oisin Mullin, limiting the Saints star to 21 disposals, well below his average.

Bailey Smith was outstanding, the gut-running midfielder standing out as he racked up 35 disposals and a goal.

Rowan Marshall battled hard for St Kilda, finishing with 33 disposals, two goals and 12 clearances, as did Jack Silvagni who was thrown up forward in the final term with Wanganeen-Milera in an attempt to spark life into the Saints.

The Saints matched it with the Cats in the second half, both sides scoring eight goals apiece, but three of St Kilda’s goals came in the final minutes of the match when a Geelong win was beyond doubt.

Polking-strong
Stephen Wells has done it again. Geelong's list manager guru has found another diamond in the rough with key forward Jay Polkinghorne. The South Australian, who was taken with pick No.44 in the 2024 draft, was impressive on debut, kicking two goals and taking a number of strong marks. The agile tall presented well in the Cats forward line, marking on the lead and outmuscling his far more experienced opponent Callum Wilkie.

Ruck impresses against potential suitor
When Tom De Koning moved to the Saints, there was speculation that fellow ruck Rowan Marshall could potentially look for a new home. The Cattery was mentioned as a possible destination for the 30-year-old, and on Thursday night Marshall showed the Cats what he is capable of. Marshall has been outstanding as the Saints' No.1 ruck with De Koning out injured, and on Thursday night he led his team for disposals (33) and clearances (12) to go with his 30 hitouts. If the Cats were interested in Marshall last trade period, there’s no doubt that interest will have grown.

GEELONG        4.2    7.8    11.11    15.12 (102)
ST KILDA    2.0    3.5    7.6    11.9 (75)
 
GOALS
Geelong: Miers 3, O.Henry 2, Dempsey 2, Polkinghorne 2, Mannagh, Atkins, Worpel, Neale, Dangerfield, Smith
St Kilda: Marshall 2, Hall 2, Ryan 2, Garcia, Higgins, Lake, Silvagni, Wanganeen-Milera

BEST
Geelong: Smith, Miers, Humphries, Clark, Polkinghorne
St Kilda: Marshall, Garcia, Wilson, Silvagni, Phillipou
 
INJURIES
Geelong: Mannagh (hamstring), Holmes (ankle)
St Kilda: Nil
 
Crowd: 23,737 at GMHBA Stadium